1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a binder, and more particularly to a binder capable of releasing, by an extremely simple operation, an operating member from a locked state when a pressing member is set in a binding position.
2. Related Art
As a conventional binder, for example, a type as shown in FIG. 55 is known. In this binder 200, a metal member is formed as a forming material. The binder 200 comprises a base 202 fixed inside of a cover sheet 201, a pressing member 204 supported on this base 202 through a plurality of coupling shafts 203, and an operating member 206 coupled to the pressing member 204 through a coil spring 205.
The base 202 is composed of a setting plane 210 contacting with the inside of the cover sheet 201, a support wall 211 standing upward from one end of this setting plane 210, and a plurality of intermediate walls 212 formed by raising part of the setting plane 210 and disposed substantially parallel to the support wall 211. The support wall 211 has a plurality of round holes 211A. and a square hole 211B for locking the operating member 206.
The pressing member 204 is shaped with a downward C-shaped cross section. Specifically, it comprises a rectangular flat plane 204A and a pair of side planes 204B extending from both longitudinal side edges of the flat plane 204A and having holes 204C in a plurality of locations.
The coil spring 205 is provided around a pin 213 disposed between the support wall 211 and one of the intermediate walls 212. One end side of the coil spring 205 penetrates through the hole 204C located in substantially the center of the pressing member 204, while the other end side is disposed so as to extend to the free end side at the lower side position of the operating member 206. When the operating member 206 is in the prone position illustrated, the pressing member 204 applies a pressing force to paper P, whereas the operating member 206 always applies force in an upward or rising direction.
The coupling shaft 203 is in crank shaped, with one end side penetrating and extending through the holes 204C located in both sides in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member 204, and the other end side disposed between the support wall 211 and intermediate wall 212. Accordingly, when the pressing member 204 moves closer to or away from the setting plane 210 of the base 202, it is able to move while remaining parallel with the setting plane 210.
One end side of the operating member 206 is supported on the pin 213, penetrating through the coil portion of the coil spring 205. In the side portion of the free end side of the operating member 206, toward the front or nearer side in the drawing, a protrusion 214 corresponding to the location where a square hole 211B is provided, and this protrusion 214 is hooked in the square hole 211B so that the operating member 206 is maintained in a locked position.
In this binder 200, however, when unlocking the operating member 206, while pressing the free end side of the operating member 206 to the setting plane 210 side, a force must be also applied in a horizontal direction away from the support wall 211 (horizontal direction to the right side in FIG. 55), thus requiring operation in two directions, thereby complicating the simple operation. In particular, if a large number of sheets are bound, the spring force of the coil spring 205 is strong such that applying operating force in two directions results in the pressing force being distributed, and it may be difficult to unlock. Such operation causes torsion in the operating member 206 so that the load on the base side is heavy, causing and the operating member 206 to deform or malfunction.
The present invention is devised in light of such inconvenience, and it is hence an object thereof to provide a binder capable of locking and unlocking an operating member by applying force to the operating member in one direction only.
It is another object of the invention to provide a binder capable of locking and unlocking the operating member only by displacing a part of locking means.
To achieve these objects, the invention provides a binder comprising an operating member having one end supported on a base and the other end provided movably as a free end, a pressing member movable selectively toward and away from the base by the movement of the operating member, a spring member disposed between the pressing member and the operating member, and locking means for locking the operating member when the pressing member is set in a binding position, in which, when being selectively locked and unlocked, the operating member can be selectively locked and unlocked without changing the direction of the operating force during operation so that the convenience of operation is obtained.
Further, when being selectively locked and unlocked, the operating member can be selectively locked and unlocked without changing the direction of the operating force applied against the bias force of the spring member during operation, or the operating member can be locked and unlocked without changing the rotational trajectory of the operating member.
Moreover, the operating member of the invention has first and second operating spots(area, region or portion), in which the operating member is locked and the pressing member is held in the binding position when the first operating spot is operated in a specified direction, and the locking is released to move the pressing member away from the base when the second operating spot is operated in the specified direction. Such a configuration is convenient because the locking can be released by only operating the second operating spot in the same direction as the operating direction applied to the first operating spot. That is, unlike the related art, it is not necessary to apply pressing force and horizontal force simultaneously to the operating member. This enables operating force to be securely applied to the operating member. It relieves distortion from torsion and the like in the operating member.
The first and second operating spots in the invention can be divided by forming a slit in the operating member. As a result, the operating member may be formed in an extremely simple structure.
The operating member may be also composed by assembling a separate part for forming the second operating spot in the main body having the first operating spot. At this time, the separate part may be made of a piece member housed within the main body, with this piece member preferred to be provided movable in the unlocking direction but held so as not to fall out. In such a configuration, the operating force applied to the first and second operating spots is completely independent so that the accuracy of operation can be enhanced.
Further, the locking means comprises an extended shaft portion extending to the spring member and extending to the first and second operating spots, and a hook portion provided in the base selectively hooking the extended shaft portion, in which, when the first operating spot is pressed, the extended shaft portion engages on the hook portion so as to lock, and when the second operating spot is pressed, the axial position of the extended shaft portion is displaced to so as to release the lock. At this time, in the second operating spot, preferably, a contact member contacting a part of the extended shaft portion is provided so that the extended shaft portion can be displaced in the unlocking direction with the displacement of the contact member when the second operating spot is pressed. In such a configuration, a locking mechanism making use of an existing spring member may be employed, and deformation of the operating member can be reliably prevented as the extended shaft portion displaces the axial position by operation of the second operating spot.
The operating member may also have a guide portion for keeping the trajectory of displacement of the extended shaft portion constant. In such a configuration, stable displacement of the extended shaft portion is maintained such that a malfunction can be prevented.
In other aspect of the present invention, a binder comprises an operating member having one end supported on a base and the other end provided movably as a free end, a pressing member movable selectively toward and away from the base by movement of the operating member, a spring member disposed between the pressing member and the operating member, and locking means for locking the operating member when the pressing member is set in a binding position, in which the locking means comprises a first lock forming portion provided in the operating member, and a second lock forming portion provided at the base side to be hooked onto the first lock forming portion, and the locking of the operating member can be released by displacing the first lock forming portion or the second lock forming portion from the hooking position. In such a configuration, by applying an external force, for example, from a fingertip, to the second lock forming member, hooking of each lock forming portion can be released and the binding force to the pressing means can be released by the force of the spring member.
The first lock forming portion is a hole provided in the operating member, and the second lock forming portion comprises a standing member inserted in the hole and hooked onto the edge of the hole. Therefore, the binding position of the operating member is able to be locked by only moving the operating member to the binding position.
Alternatively, the first lock forming portion may comprise an outer edge of the operating member and the second lock forming portion may comprise a standing member to be selectively hooked onto the outer edge. In such a configuration, the lock means can be composed in a structure which obviates the need for a hole in the operating member so as to simplify the structure of the operating member.
Preferably, the tip of the standing member is provided so as to project from the upper side of the operating member when the operating member is in the binding position. As a result, the force for displacing the standing member may be easily applied to the standing member. Moreover, by maintaining the height or length of the standing member, the standing member can be displaced easily and locking can be released without requiring excessive force. It is also easy to set the operating member in the binding position.
The first lock forming member may be formed of a slide member movable within a range of the operating member in the extending direction of the operating member, and by movement of the slide member, hooking onto the second lock forming member can be released. In such a configuration, the hooking of each lock forming portion can be released smoothly.
Moreover, locking can be released by operating the first lock forming portion in the extending direction of the operating member. This enables an operating force can be applied easily to the first lock forming portion.